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davieG

Brendan Rodgers exclusive interview: on transfers, targets and his most difficult summer

By davieG, in Leicester City Forum

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jv1

jv1

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Maybe I’ll get pelters but I think that’s a pretty fair interview about the current situation- we absolutely 100% need to get behind the club and team and he is part of that wether we like it or not - so we need to now get on with it and start picking up some points 

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Chelmofox

Chelmofox

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"It has clearly been a really difficult market for us. But the bigger picture was the club. For me, it is a non-story from today. Now, it is about everyone coming together. We bring on the fight and have this collective common goal of winning games and being a team."

 

Although, he then goes on about it a bit! But he needs to be held to this if he is going to stay and try and solve this. He needs to knuckle down and sort out his own issues as well as the teams. Maybe he needs to get outside his comfort zone and take some risks, or do things that aren't natural for him.

 

Quote

"I am so excited about this challenge. It is something I embrace. The end of the season is a long way off and I have not set any targets but let's get to 40 points and then look to finish as high as we can. Can we do well in the cup competitions? That always excites us.

Then behave like it! Go for it. Don't behave like your done with the sport and you are desperate for the sack. Be hungry to succeed, to solve this, to make everybody and everything better. 

 

Who am i kidding :blink:

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HankMarvin

HankMarvin

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Posted (edited)

Brendan Rodgers exclusive interview: Leicester City manager on transfers, targets and his most difficult summer

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Brendan Rodgers reflects on why it has been such a tough summer for Leicester City and what must happen next; watch Brighton vs Leicester live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm on Sunday; kick-off 2pm

Sunday 4th September 1:00pm

Leicester City's Brendan Rodgers reflects on the most difficult summer of his managerial career

Brendan Rodgers breezes into the room, hurriedly adjusts the air-conditioning and is all smiles as he sits down for his interview at the club’s training ground. Leicester are bottom of the table but there is a sense that the season starts now.

It has been the most challenging summer of his managerial career with players wanting to leave and without the funds to bring in replacements. "It is like going into a shop and walking around with no money," he tells Sky Sports. "You cannot buy anything."

But before all that, he wants to clarify the comments that caused something of a media furore on Thursday evening following the defeat to Manchester United. Headlines suggesting that he 'took a swipe at the board' do not reflect his true feelings.

"I always know there is a spin on words. I have a huge respect for the board. There is no way that I ever had a notion to expose them. They have been honest enough to say how it is. Top's notes have made it clear in terms of the thinking behind the why of the situation.

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha's programme notes

First and foremost, Leicester City's overall financial position is entirely secure and underpinned by my ongoing personal commitment and that of my family. 

The club is as safe in our hands as it has been every day for the last 12 years. It's our commitment to that responsibility that drives every decision we make. Sometimes, that commitment means making difficult, short-term decisions that protect the club's long-term interests, such as our approach to this summer's transfer window.

Due to an increase in our net spend over recent seasons, some measures were necessary to ensure we manage our compliance with the game's sustainability regulations. While we continue to build our wider revenue streams to compete with the established elite in the long-term, our short-term means of offsetting such expenditure is generating profits through player trading. 

We did that successfully for five straight summer windows before 2021, where we opted to make further investments in the squad without a significant sale. This summer, we couldn't risk unbalancing that equation further, so we decided space would need to be made in the squad before new additions could be brought in.

"It has clearly been a really difficult market for us. But the bigger picture was the club. For me, it is a non-story from today. Now, it is about everyone coming together. We bring on the fight and have this collective common goal of winning games and being a team."

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It is unusual to see Leicester like this. The club were champions of England six years ago and that first FA Cup win came as recently as last year. The pause on spending means an adjustment for everyone - fans, players and the manager who came here to compete.

"Where we have been in the table for the last few years, that is where I want to be challenging. Everyone wants to keep pushing. But for that we have to improve our squad and we have not been able to do it. Of course, that will be difficult for the supporters."

In truth, supporters do accept it. There is nothing but gratitude to the owners who have provided the best times in the club's history. Feelings towards Rodgers are more mixed. What does he say to those who point out that he still has a mid-table budget?

"I can only judge it on the squad that I have and when I see the competitors it is clear that a lot of our competitors have improved. This is a group that needed to improve and we have not been able to do that. But that does not mean we will not try to find development.

"We wanted to challenge for European football and we were able to do that and win trophies. But I am realistic. I know what pieces are missing from our jigsaw. It is not a lack of ambition, it is just where we are at. I am having to find ways to make it better."

Brendan Rodgers accepts the squad is weaker now than it was a year ago

Here, it is a bit more complicated than it might look. Thirteen of the squad who revelled in FA Cup glory at Wembley were also in the squad on Thursday night. But the circumstances are not the same. This is a game played with the legs and in the mind, not on paper.

"Sometimes the best coach is the person who comes in to rival your position. That will drive you on. Otherwise, if there is no competition, players can get comfortable. As much as you demand things from them, they know there is no one around the corner."

There is a long breath as Rodgers is asked to reflect on the difficulties of the summer and discuss why all might not be as it seems. He is ready to explain in some detail and his words reveal that the situation with Wesley Fofana was just part of the problem.

"If you think about it, right from the beginning we had stuff around James Maddison and Harvey Barnes. You obviously had Kasper [Schmeichel] straight away when he came in. You had the situation with Youri [Tielemans]. You had Cags [Soyuncu] on a year to go.

"You also had Daniel Amartey on a year to go. Jonny Evans on a year to go. Jamie Vardy had not signed. Jannik Vestergaard maybe looking at moving on. So, you had a number of players who that can affect. Then you have the injury to Ricardo [Pereira].

"Those are 10 situations there that affect the dynamics.

"And then you have Wesley's situation on top of that.

"What it does within the changing room is that it creates doubt. The stability is affected with no new faces coming in to bring that life to it. It becomes a place where people are looking to move on. That becomes a distraction. You have to control it the best you can."

Brendan Rodgers says that Wesley Fofana did not write the Instagram post criticising him

The focus now must be on finding a path through all this. Leadership has been lost but needs to come from elsewhere. "Leadership comes in different forms. When we lost Wes Morgan we lost that figurehead. Now it needs to be a combination of all of them."

With Vardy turning 36 in January, some might be past their peak. But there are others with more to give. "Some of the guys are still growing. James has pushed on. Harvey is improving. Luke Thomas has come in and done really well, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall too."

Brendan Rodgers says he can understand the frustration among supporters

There is an expectation that - with a World Cup in their sights - others will refocus. "I think between now and November, it is about a laser-focus on our work now. It is about us picking ourselves up and getting up that table. There are no distractions.

"It is time to be together. That includes the supporters because they are needed more than ever now. They have had an amazing few years but this is the reality of the situation. The players will feed off their energy and we want that to be as positive as it can."

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But perhaps the most pertinent question is for Rodgers himself - a man who has been open about his own ambition. He came here to compete for trophies, upset the natural order of things at the top of the table. Now, by his own admission, he is targeting 40 points.

The fear among the fans is that he himself has become jaded by the situation. Just as he wanted to clarify those comments about the club's financial restrictions, he is firm about the fact that he is here to embrace the challenge. He can focus on coaching again.

Kick off 2:00pm

"I am so excited about this challenge. It is something I embrace. The end of the season is a long way off and I have not set any targets but let's get to 40 points and then look to finish as high as we can. Can we do well in the cup competitions? That always excites us.

"Yes, pieces are missing but how can we still find the solutions? What is the best dynamic for us as a team? In terms of fixtures, we have had a tough run with us having had to play three of the top five or six teams while trying to piece our game back together.

"We have to be better with the ball. Getting that confidence back, that simplicity in our game, that creativity in our game. On top of that you have to be defensively strong. We need to be a difficult team to play against with and without the ball.

"With the start we have had, they are not going to be confident but that is the job - to galvanise them again and get them through this period. We draw a line under it now. There is an opportunity to be ourselves again. It is about hard work and focus.

"It is about the hard yards now."

 

 

 

 

 

MR Cop-out 

 

“Sometimes the best coach is the person who comes in to rival your position. That will drive you on. Otherwise, if there is no competition, players can get comfortable”

 

£10m a year coach

try telling that to Nige or a coach that isn’t a happy clapper and players have respect for.

 

 

Edited by HankMarvin
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coolhandfox

coolhandfox

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If I hear him say once more we have to be better on the ball, I gonna drive to Seagrave and drop a ton of balls on him.

 

Our issues are down to what we do without the ball, our shape is poor in and out of possession, we don't work hard enough, we don't complete enough sprints, our pressing is non-existent, as is our movement off the ball in possession. 

 

We are risk adverse, we get to the edge of the box and because we can't find a safe pass we got back and recycle to the other wing and then repeat the process, we will put the ball at risk by crossing. On the odd occasion we do, it just generally Vardy in the box.

 

 

I nothing to do with personnel, it do to coaching.

 

So bloody moaning and get coaching. 

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Vazman

Vazman

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He is saying the right things, and has now laid down the Gauntlet, this is the start, (5 games in 😬,) distractions from the Transfer market done, we shall see, I nearly fell for it, but at this stage what choice do we have but to give him the benefit of the doubt big, big, must win match tomorrow, 🦊

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HankMarvin

HankMarvin

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Vazman said:

He is saying the right things, and has now laid down the Gauntlet, this is the start, (5 games in 😬,) distractions from the Transfer market done, we shall see, I nearly fell for it, but at this stage what choice do we have but to give him the benefit of the doubt big, big, must win match tomorrow, 🦊

The narrative has been set 

excuse after excuse, the worrying thing is he sees his self as infallible. 
What is he as a Manager going to do differently? 
Nothing, just hope the variables mentioned above have less of a impact over time.

 

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Merging Cultures

Merging Cultures

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Watching the games the players don't look comfortable - in fact it's the opposite, they look uncomfortable. To me most look like they are trying. But from what I can tell they are being asked to play slowly with possession. And it's not working.

 

I don't see that most of the players aren't trying. Maybe it's the case in training, and we don't see it.

 

Also, I have read a number of times that the players are too friendly. That doesn't look the case on the pitch. Yeah, they are not screaming at each other, but often they look annoyed at each other and fed up with how things are going. We need a motivator on the pitch. Someone who can issue bollockings and get the team energised. Can KDH do that - even if he is 'young'? YT can't. Evans maybe, but I've not seen it - he seems to like to moan.

 

BR needs to get some energy himself, whip them up and the crowd up and stop being so measured. We need to see passion. I know it's been a meme on here, but where is it right now?

Guest TaggertvsWise

Guest TaggertvsWise

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45 minutes ago, jv1 said:

Maybe I’ll get pelters but I think that’s a pretty fair interview about the current situation- we absolutely 100% need to get behind the club and team and he is part of that wether we like it or not - so we need to now get on with it and start picking up some points 

I despise this expression… such a Jamie O’Hara & TalkSport cronies ism.

 

Good shout that at one point we just have to get behind them though, the alternative is to be angry and depressed all season.

Wasyls Pec Deck

Wasyls Pec Deck

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Posted (edited)

You can’t blame him for trying to get something togetherness going. I do think we’ve chosen a particularly bad summer not to sign anyone - apart from Faes - as a lot of these lads have been a while and some of the more recent additions are dog shit frankly.

 

**** it, I retract my previous statements about sacking him. Even if you want him gone, still get behind the lads and let’s do our bit to lift the negativity around the place.

 

Can we have the clappers back as well? Serious comment.

Edited by Wasyls Pec Deck
lcfc_forever

lcfc_forever

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Finally he’s saying the right things, should have said this weeks ago! 
 

Madness what he was doing with his statements earlier, looks like the penny has finally dropped that some positivity is needed. 
 

His reputation is on the line. 
 

If he doesn’t fix this, he won’t get a big 6 job for a long time, if ever. 

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Corky

Corky

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Brendan: My Summer From Hell 

 

Brendan Rodgers speaks exclusively and discusses his pain at not being able to spend big money on players he'll want to move on next summer.

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StanSP

StanSP

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Posted
1 hour ago, jv1 said:

Maybe I’ll get pelters but I think that’s a pretty fair interview about the current situation- we absolutely 100% need to get behind the club and team and he is part of that wether we like it or not - so we need to now get on with it and start picking up some points 

As I said in another thread, he should perhaps practice what he preaches.

 

He asks us to 100% get behind the club and the team.

 

Maybe he should 100% get behind the players he has at his disposal. By his own admission, we need stability, not a dullard manager rocking the boat and criticising any unlucky player week by week, or continuing to alienate and cast them out.

 

Stability required of course. That could start close to home when it comes to Rodgers...

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RoboFox

RoboFox

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 minute ago, Samilktray said:

Mods deleting posts aimed at raising the mood on foxestalk, just unbelievable imho 

Yeah what was that about? Like half the thread.

 

DT was trolling I’m sure, but still… 

 

Edited by RoboFox
somebum

somebum

Posted
Posted
Just now, Samilktray said:

Mods deleting posts aimed at raising the mood on foxestalk, just unbelievable imho 

"Because the regime don't like it man"

Papasmurf

Papasmurf

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Samilktray said:

Mods deleting posts aimed at raising the mood on foxestalk, just unbelievable imho 

Thought I’d accidentally skipped to another thread somehow. Posts vanishing before my eyes. 

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